PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks lost their first series since the opening weekend of the season, dropping the finale to the Chicago White Sox 4-1 at Chase Field on Thursday.
The game was tied 1-1 entering the ninth inning, but Paul Sewald surrendered two walks before Chicago’s Andrew Benintendi crushed a middle-middle fastball deep to right field.
After scoring 11 runs in a win on Wednesday, Arizona failed to score multiple runs for the first time since April 3.
“It’s a tough game to lose because I feel like whoever got that big hit at that big moment was going to win,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “It had that feel all game today and they were the ones that did it.”
The D-backs entered this series having won four straight series (Mets, Phillies, Orioles and Blue Jays) and without having dropped a set in six consecutive matchups.
Arizona fell to 14-11 through 25 games on the season.
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Michael Soroka had to grind through five innings with 101 pitches, but he managed to keep the White Sox at one run despite allowing seven hits.
In four home starts, Soroka has yet to allow more than two runs, as his ERA decreased on Thursday to 2.60 five games into his D-backs tenure.
Soroka escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third inning, as shortstop Geraldo Perdomo dropped a low liner, tagged the runner out and stepped on the base for the inning-ending double play.
“We had a really heads up play by Perdomo,” Lovullo said. “Those are little plays that we practiced and talked about. Touching the runner and then tagging the base, the order of that is super important.”
“He’s a gamer,” Soroka said. “We actually practice those things in spring training. We go over those rules on how that all works. And in a situation like that, it’s game saver for me.”
Arizona had not lost a Soroka start until Thursday.
The Diamondbacks finished with eight hits but did not score after the first inning, when Adrian Del Castillo drove in a run with a double off White Sox starter Davis Martin. Arizona went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Sewald is 7-for-7 in save situations this year without having allowed a run, but in non-save situations, he has been hit-and-miss. Sewald has allowed five earned runs two innings when a save has not been on the line, picking up three losses.
“It happens a couple times a year, you throw enough where you just feel like you don’t know where it’s going, and today’s one of those days,” Sewald said.
Ildemaro Vargas keeps hitting streak alive
With a two-out single in the fourth inning, first baseman Ildemaro Vargas extended his hitting streak to 18 games to start the season and 21 games dating back to last year.
Vargas tied Ketel Marte and Danny Bautista for the fourth-longest hitting streak in Diamondbacks history.
Diamondbacks’ schedule gets tough
The Diamondbacks get a rare Friday off before starting a two-game series in Mexico City against the first-place San Diego Padres.
Zac Gallen will start on Saturday at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú.
Arizona’s schedule entering the season was always going to be difficult early, and it will take on teams off to pretty good starts over the next couple weeks.
The Padres are 17-8, and after leaving Mexico, the D-backs have to face the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs on the road. Milwaukee, the defending National League Central champions, are 13-11. The Cubs have been especially hot with nine straight victories.
The D-backs will return home on May 5 to host the 14-10 Pittsburgh Pirates.
The opener on Saturday will start at 3:05 p.m. MST on ESPN 620 AM and the Arizona Sports app.
